Yukio Edano, the head of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) said last week that he will not approve a request from the Chugoku Electric Power Company to begin construction at the proposed site of the Kaminoseki power plant in Yamaguchi Prefecture. Japan’s central government recently announced that it would eradicate nuclear power in the 2030s, and would prohibit construction on any new reactors. However, some experts criticized the plan after officials admitted that three power plants currently under construction would be allowed to proceed. If those plants are allowed to run for the government-allotted 40-year period, they would operate at least a decade longer than the 2030s. (Source: NHK)

Meanwhile, residents of Kaminoseki are continuing to protest the proposed plant—as they have been doing every week for the past 30 years. Many protestors are now in their 60s, 70s, and 80s. Chugoku has made concerted efforts to woo the town with monetary boondoggles, including paying tens of millions of yen to build a coastal road. A utility official admitted, “We are doing this because [some] local residents have cooperated with us a great deal in our plan to build the plant.” Another local resident, who works for a construction company associated with the project, pointed out that if Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda loses elections expected to be held later this year, and former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is pro-nuclear, takes office again, the project could very well move forward. “We should be very patient. You never know what will happen if a change of government takes place and Abe becomes Prime Minister again,” he said.

Nuclear Regulation Authority

The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) staged its first emergency drill this week, simulating power loss after a massive earthquake at the Rokkasho processing plant in Aomori Prefecture. The drill focused on communication between the plant’s operator and government agencies, including using video links. Yoshihide Kuroki, an NRA official, noted that the drill went well, but admitted that it took more than five hours for him to reach the plant’s emergency response center. (Source: NHK)

TEPCO released a 6-hour video to the public this week, compiled from footage of videoconferences conducted in the five days immediately following the Fukushima nuclear disaster 18 months ago. The tapes show major communication challenges as workers at the plant’s emergency headquarters attempted to get guidance from the utility’s headquarters, government regulatory agencies, and the Prime Minister’s office. This summer, TEPCO released only 150 hours worth of footage, collected between March 11 and March 16, 2011, to the media. TEPCO was widely criticized when officials said that reporters could only view the tapes at their offices for a limited period of time, and could make no copies. Many sections of the footage were blurred, and names were obscured; the utility insisted that this was necessary as a result of “privacy concerns.” Media outlets continue to urge TEPCO to release all videos from the days following the nuclear meltdowns, but so far, company officials have refused. The 6-hour video—whose content was entirely chosen and edited by TEPCO itself—is available online here.

Help stop the planned buildings of 17 nuclear plants in Turkey!!!
Live in Alanya, 200 kilometers from Mersin where the first nuclear plant is going to be located. It will be built by Russian contractors. Mersin is located right by the Mediterranean waters, and a nuclear accident there could ruin the whole Mediterranean coast. People here don't know about nuclear power and the disaster it can cause. I lived in Sweden when Tjernobyl exploded, and I don't think the forrests and some of the land is free of cesium even today. Greenpeace can help informing people and also politicians, that don't seem to know what is happening. Please help!

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(Unregistered) Boris324
says:

Thank God for the Fukushima 50, they are the true heroes of the disaster. They were dealing with the unknown and persevered while waiting for help to ...

Thank God for the Fukushima 50, they are the true heroes of the disaster. They were dealing with the unknown and persevered while waiting for help to arrive. They prevented a more widespread catastrophe. Thank you Ms. McCann and Greenpeace for keeping the world informed.

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(Unregistered) Beppe
says:

Shinzo Abe belongs to the LDP (Liberal Democratic Party), which started promoting nuclear power in Japan and was governing the country until the last ...

Shinzo Abe belongs to the LDP (Liberal Democratic Party), which started promoting nuclear power in Japan and was governing the country until the last elections.
I believe the LDP is largely responsible for the regulatory failure that contributed to the Fukushima nuclear disaster, besides being responsible for building over 50 npps in the most earthquake prone country in the world.
If the Japanese want to avoid another Fukushima they should not return LDP to power.

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(Unregistered) Paul
says:

Love this regular report. News getting flat with all the attention going to the China issuse. Couldn't agree more with the above statement. While ...

Love this regular report. News getting flat with all the attention going to the China issuse. Couldn't agree more with the above statement. While Noda and his party are hopeless at getting anything done, the LDP getting back in so quickly will be a return to their 50 something plus years they built of hands in the pockets of certain industries and businesses. Noda being in, alone has broken down this long relationship of corruption. LDP back in will be back to their strong pro nuclear ways and a disaster to any progress made away from that.